As they continued their trek through the dense forest, the terrain slowly began to incline, hinting at the hills that cradled the orc citadel. The air grew heavier, thick with the scent of damp earth and something musky—the unmistakable odor of orcs. Ben's hand instinctively went to his briefcase, a familiar weight.
Then, a sudden, internal jolt. A cold, golden light flared in his peripheral vision, visible only to him.
[ ⚖ Writ of Reprisal – Emergency Protocol Triggered ]
"Enemy," Ben warned, his voice flat, devoid of urgency, but with an underlying steel.
Jordan, already on high alert, didn't hesitate. With a practiced flourish, he drew both dual sabers from his back, their purple-tinged blades shimmering faintly in the dappled light. Just as he finished, five hulking forms burst from the trees ahead, their green hides a stark contrast to the verdant undergrowth. Four were standard orcs, Level 15, but the fifth was larger, more heavily muscled, its tusks longer and sharper—a Level 18 Orc Squad Leader.
"Shit," Jordan muttered, his eyes wide. "That's a lot of them." He shifted his weight, ready for a fight.
Ben's briefcase shimmered and vanished, replaced by the Shortsword of Compliance and the Scales of Guilt. Without breaking stride, he moved the Scales, golden light flaring.
[ ✦ Mark of Debt applied ]
Glyphs seared above their heads of all five orcs. Ben's gaze swept over them, assessing their collective debt. The System calculated rapidly, revealing their unreported EXP and stats. A surge of power, cold and invigorating, coursed through Ben's veins.
+250% Temporary Stat Boost: Active
Debuff Resistance: Active
Reprisal Mode Enabled
Jordan felt the pressure of Ben's activated aura, a sudden, oppressive weight in the air. He glanced at Ben, whose stoic expression remained unchanged, even with the immense power radiating from him. "So, what's our plan, suit-man?"
The Orc Leader, its beady eyes fixed on them, let out a guttural roar. "Attack them! For the Horde!"
"Don't stay in one place," Ben commanded, his voice low and precise. "Hit and run. I'm going to do the same. Distract the others and I'll do my debuffs."
Jordan grinned, a flash of white teeth. "Sounds like a good play. Let's do this."
They split up, Jordan veering left, Ben right, both moving with a sudden, unnatural speed. Jordan became a blur of purple and steel, doing single, precise slashes, then dashing to hit a different orc, a whirlwind of calculated aggression. He dodged their clumsy, powerful strikes with practiced ease, but couldn't help but parry the Level 18 Orc Leader's strike, the force shaking him to the bone. He gritted his teeth, absorbing the shock, then executed a quick, shallow slash across its arm before dashing away, circling the lumbering brutes.
Ben, meanwhile, moved with a chilling efficiency. His first strike, almost a tap, landed on a Level 15 orc's leg.
[ ✦ Chain of Accountability – Engaged ]
The orc roared in confusion and outrage as it was instantly bound, wrapped by glowing golden chains. A timer, counting down from 15 seconds, appeared above its head. After the timer runs out, Jordan, mid-dash, watched in momentary surprise as a vortex of swirling darkness tore open beneath the bound orc, swallowing its screaming form. The sight was jarring, even for him. He quickly refocused, continuing to distract the remaining orcs.
Ben moved to another Level 15 orc, its axe already swinging. Ben sidestepped the attack with ease, then tapped its arm.
[ ✦ Disarmed – Seal of Arms Activated ]
The orc's chipped axe clattered uselessly to the ground, its eyes wide with confusion. Ben didn't linger. He ran again, sliding in between the legs of a third orc, tapping its leg with the Shortsword.
[ ✦ Stat Recalibration Seal: -25% to all stats ]
The orc felt sluggish, its movements now agonizingly slow. Ben moved to another, touching his sword to the orc's thick hide, and it too felt the sudden, debilitating weight.
[ ✦ Stat Recalibration Seal: -25% to all stats ]
Finally, Ben moved to the last orc, the Level 18 leader, which was still busy trying to land a hit on the elusive Jordan. Ben slashed its back. There was no pain, no visible wound, but golden chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the orc, binding it instantly. It roared, struggling futilely.
[ ✦ Chain of Accountability – Engaged ]
The Orc Leader, now completely immobilized, shouted, its voice thick with rage and confusion, "What is this, human?! What have you done?!"
Meanwhile, Jordan move towards the remaining three orcs debuffed and hobbled, cleaned them up easily. His blades flashed, precise and deadly, ending their struggles swiftly.
Ben, his gaze fixed on the bound Orc Leader, replied, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, "I'm your doom." The timer above the orc's head reached 0. It roared one last, desperate time before the vortex claimed it, dragging it into the Dimensional Seizure Cell.
Jordan, having slayed the last of the three debuffed orcs, turned, wiping the blood from his saber on his forearm. He grinned, a savage, satisfied expression on his face. "Man, that was a fucking blast! That's what I'm talking about! Whooooo!" Ben just smiled.
[3x] Marked Debtors Terminated
[Tax Collection Executed Automatically]
EXP Seized: +1,312
Stat Gains Seized: +30
[ Debt Cleared ]
[ You earned +131 EXP and 3 stat points. ]
[ You levelled up to 7 ]
Ben allowed himself a faint, satisfied smile.
Jordan approached one of the fallen orcs, holstering his sabers and taking off his pocket knife. "So, how'd you do on your part, man? Did you get your cut?"
Ben ran a hand over his coat, his smile fading slightly. "Yeah. That damn axe ripped my suit. This is expensive. I bought this for $250." He sighed dramatically.
Jordan scoffed, extracting a magic stone from one of the fallen orcs. "Expensive? Dude, don't worry, I'll share half the magic stones we collected after this. You can bet your ass we'll make at least twenty grand from this run, so you can buy yourself a more expensive one. Hell, maybe a suit for Players. There's a whole market for that shit."
Ben listened, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "Player marketplace, huh? How much do you think a tailored suit for Player is worth?"
Jordan extracted another orc's magic stone, wiping it clean. "Hmm… my light armor, I bought for five thousand dollars, though it's just common rank. You can buy a decent tailored suit for Players for, give or take, at least ten thousand. They're crafted to withstand scratches and rips like your coat just suffered. Plus, they have some defensive protection, in case you get sniped by a ranged monster."
Ben considered. That was indeed useful. "Then I'll consider buying one."
Remembering the detainees at the Dimensional Seizure Cell, Ben opened his Judgment Panel. His eyes widened lightly as he saw the list: 17 goblins that the Taxbound Goblins had sent to the cells from the F-rank gate, and the 2 recently captured orcs. He then chose Account Reset for all of them.
Moments later, the goblins appeared back at their village, now Level 1, their tiny forms bewildered and powerless. The two orcs materialized near Jordan, also Level 1, catching him off guard. He instinctively beheaded them easily, their new, pathetic forms no match for his blades.
"What the hell just happened?!" Jordan asked, looking at Ben.
"It's the judgment," Ben explained calmly. "I chose Account Reset for them. The System takes all of their total EXP and stats earned, and I take a one-tenth share of the pie."
Jordan's jaw dropped. "That's—that's OP, isn't it?"
Ben shrugged. "I don't think so."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, man," Jordan muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Ben then noticed a new notification on his System interface.
[ Verdict ]
[ All 17 Debtors have received account reset. ]
[ All EXP and Stats will be seized and reset to Level 1 ]
[ Exp Seized: 35,050 EXP ]
[ Stats Seized: 545 ]
[ Debt Cleared ]
[ You earned +3,505 EXP and 54 Stat points. ]
[ You levelled up to 12! ]
[ Class Advancement 1/4 Unlocked. ]
[ Quest: Quota ]
Collect a Total of 100,000 EXP ( 70,033 / 100,000 )
Collect a total of 1,000 Stat Points ( 774 / 1,000 )
Reward: [ Skill: Audit Inspection ]
Type: Active Crowd Control
Cooldown: 60s
Cost: Free ( 20 MP for additional 10s if held )
Effect: Freezes all [Marked] targets within 50m, until you move.
Freeze Duration by Level Gap:
Targets equal or below your level: Infinite (until you move)
Targets up to 10 levels above: 30 seconds (until you move)
Targets 20–30 levels above: 20 seconds (until you move)
Targets 31–40 levels above: 10 seconds (until you move)
Targets 41-50 levels above: 5 seconds (until you move)
- BONUS PROTOCOL: [System Forensic Tag – ILLEGAL INJECTION]
During freeze, forcibly scans all immobilized [Marked] targets for:
- Unregistered EXP
- Stat or mana injections
- Unlogged growth spikes
- Interference by unsanctioned items/gods
If detected → apply:
- [Fraudulent Entity Flag] Debuff (72 Hours):
-50% All Stats
-50% Skill Effectiveness
-EXP Gain Blocked
-Skill cooldowns +50%
-Passive Regen Halved
-Aggro Multiplied x3 (Targeted by monsters more often)
- Forced Seizure:
- All injected EXP and stats removed
- 10% redirected to Tax Collector's Ledger
- Remaining power is wiped
- Asset Log Flagged for mandatory [Ledger View] cooldown bypass
System Contract Imprint:
-Entity becomes permanently flagged for Audit Tracking
-Cannot benefit from EXP potions or boosters again
-Future EXP taxed at 35% minimum, permanently
Additional Bonus:
Using [Ledger View] on a frozen target:
+5s freeze
Adds "Audit Chain" Debuff
"The moment you're under audit, you stop. Movement is a privilege—compliance is the fee."
Ben smiled, a wide, predatory grin that stretched across his face. This is exactly what he was talking about. This was the power to enforce true order.